Mail-pouch catching and delivering apparatus.



J. A. OLBON. MAIL POUCH GATGHING AND DELIVBRING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIO'N'PILED NOV; 24. 1908.

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nuawfofn L A. OLBON, MAIL PUGH CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1908. 939,738 Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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J. A.V OLBON. MAIL POUCH GTCHING' AAND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 24. 190s.

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UNTED STATES kPATENT OFFCE.

JOI-IN A. OLBON, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T LOUIS F. BRAUN, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

MAIL-POUCH CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application led. November 24, 1908. Serial No. 464,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. OLBoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of N ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Mail-Pouch Catching and Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying dra ing.

rihe object of my invention is to provide a means for safely and expeditiously receiving and delivering mail pouches from a moving train.

At present, there is a device in use for picking up mail pouches en route but the method in vogue of delivering mail pouches is to throw them from the train which is usually running at a great speed, and the pouches are subjected to extraordinary wear and tear owing to that practice. By throwing the mail pouches from the train they frequently get under the wheels of moving trains, become mutilated and the mail matter contained therein being damaged.

My invention is a combination mail pouch receiving and delivering device. That such a device is needed to till a long felt want is recognized by the government autho-rities and the railroads engaged in carrying the mails; but no practical device so far as can be ascertained has been invented and adopted for delivering mail pouches from a moving train in safety to the pouches and the mail mattei' contained therein.

hiy invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, accomplishes the objects sought for. The pouches are as carefully received and delivered as if handled personally from one official to another.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device that will not only be durable, reliable and safe but one that can be operated with facility, on a moving train, and which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive, and may be moved into a" convenient and small space inside the car, when not in use.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the track-side mechanism and a portion of the mail car with the mechanism thereon, the two mechanisms being in position to effect a transfer of the mail bags. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, the car being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally through the interior of the car, showing the mechanism in inoperative position within the same. Fig. A is a. plan view partially in section of the bag-holding arm and supporting arm, the former being in its rearmost position. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the bagcarrier of the track-side mechanism.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

in the embodiment illustrated, the trackside mechanism consists of a pair of posts or standards G having secured to their upper ends brackets 7 provided with head blocks 8. A trolley wire or track 9 connects the blocks, and operating thereon is a mail bag carrier, in the form of a carriage 10 having wheels 11 that run upon the track. Leaf springs 12, secured to the blocks 8, serve to normally hold the carrier at th-e ends of the track or trolley wire, and yet permit the same to be moved under the impact occasioned by the exchange of mail bags. The carrier 10 has a depending bracket 13 having oppositely extending noses 1d, to which are pivoted bag-retaining dogs 15, these dogs being provided with depending tails connected by a spring 1G, which maintains the dogs in a substantially vertical position. Pivoted between the side walls of the carriage, are depending dogs 17 having inwardly extending tail-pieces 18 that rest upon the upper end of the bracket 13. Secured to the standards 6, below the brackets 7, are diagonally disposed bars 19 having outstanding arms 2O secured to their upper and lower ends, the upper arms 2O being provided with ring-engaging lingers 21. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the bags 22 to be transferred to the cars have secured to them, rings 23 that are engaged with the fingers 21. The bags rest on the lower arms 20. There a number of bags are to be simultaneously transferred, they may be suitably secured together.

The car-carried mechanism maybe mounted on any suitable type of car. A portion of one is shown and designated generally 2A. This car has a door-frame 25, and located within the car, at one side of said car-frame is a standard 26. Hinged, as shown at 27 to this standard, is a bracket 28, to which is fastened a pivot 29, the bracket including an arm 30 arranged outside the pivot. A boxing 31 is rotatably mounted on the pivot, and

is yieldingly held in an intermediate position thereon by coiled springs 32 located on opposite sides of said boxing and surrounding the pivot. This boxing has a removable cap-piece 33 provided with lugs 34 engaged in sock-ets in one side of the boxing, a spring clip 35, located upon the opposite side, maintaining the cap-piece in place.

A supporting arm is slidably mounted in the boxing, its outward movement being limited by a stop pin 37. Hinged to the outer end of the supporting arm is a .mail bag-carrying arm 38 that can swing rearwardly. For the purpose of swinging said arm, a coiled spring 39 is employed connected at one end to a finger 40 fastened to the arm 38, the other end being secured to a link 41 that is engaged with the pin 42 fastened on the rear end of the arm 36. ln order to hold the bag-carrying arm 38 in alinement with the supporting arm 36, a latch 43 is provided that is slidably mounted on the arm 38, and has its free end movable to a position behind a roller 44 that is journaled in a boxing 45 secured to the outer end of the supporting arm. A lever 46, pivoted in a slot 47 in the carrying arm 38, has one endengaged with the latch 43, while an operating cord 46 is connected to its other end, said cord being fastened to the pin 42. It will thus be evident that when the two arms are in alinement, they will be main tained in such alinement by the latch 43, but by operating the lever 46, the latch can be disengaged from the roller and the arm will then swing rearwardly, being moved by the spring 39.

The bagcarrying arm 38 is provided with forwardly extendingA lingers 49 and 50, the linger 50 being preferably pivoted, as shown at 51. The bag to be transferred from the car to the trackside mechanism is shown at 52, and has a ring 53 engaged with the lingers 49 and 50. Located between said tingers is a plunger 54 that is slidably mounted in the arm 38, and bears against the rear end of the lever 46. Its front end is disposed in the path of movement of the rearwardly eX- tending nose 14 of the carrier 10. It will therefore be evident that when the plunger 54 strikes said nose, the lever 46 will be swung, thus causing the latch to disengage from the roller 44, freeing the arm 38, and permitting its rearward movement. At the same time that this takes place, the ring 53 of the bag 52 will pass over the nose 14 and be locked upon the carrier 10 by the coacting dogs 15 and 17.

Briefly described, the operation of the mechanism is as follows: The bag to be transferred from the station to the car is placed upon the trackside mechanism, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the bag to be delivered from the car to the trackside mechanism is placed upon the fingers 49 and 5 0.

As the arm 38 approaches the trackside mechanism, its outer forwardly project--A ing end 55 will enter the ring 23 of the bag that is located. upon the supporting arms 20, and will remove said ring and consequently the bag, the ring being retained on said end 55 by the dog 56. Simultaneously the nose 14 will enter the ring 53 of the bag that is on the arm 38, and as it is locked thereto, the said nose will strike the plunger 54, thus operating the latch and permitting the arm to swing rearwardly out of the way of the trackside mechanism. The exchange thus having taken place, the postal clerk on the car can readily swing his mechanism within said car and remove the bag that has been taken from the station. Furthermore the mechanism can be placed out of the way, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and can be prepared for another delivery. It will be evident that when the exchange takes place, the bag will be delivered to the carrier 10 with considerable force, and the impact thus given, will cause said carrier to disengage the holding spring 12, and run along the track until the momentum is overcome. lt may if desired be set at an inclination. lith this structure, bags can be taken and delivered irrespective of the direction in which the train is moving, the trackside mechanism permitting the placing of the bag carrier at either end, and in order to change the carcarried mechanism, it is only necessary to unlatch the cap plate 33 and reverse the supporting arm 3 lith this description of my invention, what I claim is 1. A mail pouch catching and delivering apparatus, comprising, in combination, uprights erected on the land adjacent to the railway track, a stationary mail pouch support secured thereto, a runway substantially parallel with -said railway track, arms secured to said uprights connected by said runway at a point substantially in line with the stationary mail pouch supports, a box having wheels adapted to run on said runway, angle lever jaws pivotally mounted in said box, a member depending from said box, spring controlled catches at each end of said depending member to co-act with the angle lever jaws to catch and hold a mail pouch delivered from a moving train; in combination with a railway, a vehicle running thereon, a laterally swinging support secured to said vehicle, a vertical swinging sliding body mounted on said support, an arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said sliding body, means for locking said pivotal arm and sliding body together, supports for a mail pouch, one rigid and one pivotal, secured to said outer arm, a sliding pin passing through said outer arm and between said mail pouch supports, adapted to be engaged by the end of the member detrolled catch lever co-acting with a hook on ing catches mounted on the bracket, and oppending from the trolley box, to unlock said j pivotal arm and sliding body, a spring conthe end of said arm adapted to catch and hold the mail pouch'supported on the stationary arms of the uprights, erected adjacent to the railway track, and means for drawing in said pivotal arm, when said locking device is released, simultaneously with the delivery ot one pouch from the moving train to the trolley receiving device, and the catching of a pouch by the moving train from the stationary pouch support, substantially as shown and described.

2. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with car-carried mechanism, of cooperating track-side mechanism, the latter including a support, a bag carrier movably mounted on the support and having a bagholding mouth, and movable retaining catches respectively depending and upstanding in the mout-h and having coacting free ends.

3. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with car-carried mechanism, of cooperating track-side mechanism, the latter including a support, a bag holder movably mounted on the support and having a bagliolding mouth, a pivoted catch mounted on the carrier and having a tree end depending in the mouth, and a yielding catch pivoted below the mouth and having an upstanding tree end projecting into the mouth and coacting with said depending end.

d. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with car-carried mechanism, of cooperating track-side mechanism, the latter including a support, a bag carrier mounted thereon and having oppositely disposed bagreceiving devices, catches pivotally mounted on the carrier, and a spring having its enc s connected respectively to the catches to maintain the same in operative positions.

ln mail bag-exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, of cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a bag supporting arm that is movable rearwardly from a projecting operative position and has forwardly extending bag-receiving and delivering devices, means Jfor automatically moving the arm rearwardly, and means for holding it against such movement.

G. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with car-carried mechanism, ot' cooperating track-side mechanism, the latter including spaced standards, arms secured thereto, a trolley wire connected to the arms, a box having rollers that operate on the wire, said box having a depending bracket with oppositely extending portions, retainpositely extending leaf springs secured to the arms and arranged to frictionally engage the box to hold the same at the ends of the trolley wire.

7. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, of cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a bag supporting arm that is movable rearwardly from a projecting operative position, means for automatically moving the arm rearwardly, and means tor holding it against such movement.

S. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, ot' cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a movable bag supporting arm that is capable ot swinging rearwardly from a projecting operative position, a spring tor automatically moving the arm rearwardly, and a latch for holding the arm against rearward movement by the spring.

9. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, ot' cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a support, a swinging arm pivoted to the support and having bag-holding means, a roller carried by the support, a reciprocatory latch mounted on the bracket and detachably engaging behind the roller, and a lever tulcrumed on the arm and engaging the latch to operate the same.

10. ln mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, of cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a bag-receiving and supporting arm that is movable rearwardly from a projecting operative position, means for automatically moving the arm, means for holding it against such movement, and means actuated by a bag received by the arm for operating the holding means to permit the automatic movement of the arm.

1l. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with trackside mechanism, ot cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter Vincluding a support, a bag receiving and supporting arm pivoted on the support. and swinging rearwardly from a projecting operative position, a spring connected to the arm for swinging the same rearwardly, a latch 'for holding the arm against moven'lent by the spring, and latch-actuating means disposed in the path of movement ot the trackside mechanism.

12. n mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, ot cooperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including a support, a swinging arm pivoted on the support, a latch carried by the arm and detachably engaging the support, a spring for moving the arm when unlatched, a lever fulcrumed on the arm and engaging the latch, spaced bag delivering devices mounted on the swinging arm and a plunger that engages the lever located between the devices, said plunger being automatically actuated when the exchange takes place.

13. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, of coperating car-carried mechanism, the latter including' a rearwardly movable bag receiving and supporting arm, means for automatically moving the arm, means for holding the arm against such movement, and manually-operated mechanism for i'eleasing the arm to permit its movement.

14. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with track-side mechanism, of cooperating car-cari'ied mechanism, the latter including a support, a bag holding arm pivoted on the support, a spring connected to the arm for swinging the same, a latch for holding the arm against movement by the spring, a lever engaging the latch, Vand a cable extending from the lever to the car for actuating said latch.

In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a support, of a bag holding arm movably mounted thereon, a latch for holding the arm against movement, an actuating lever for the latch, and automatic and manually operated means pivotally connected to the lever for releasing the arm.

1G. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a supporting arm, of a bag holding arm pivoted thereto, a spring connected to the bag-holding arm for swinging ,the same, a latch mounted on the bagholding arm and detachably engaging the supporting arm, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on the bag-holding arm and engag'- ing the latch, an automatically operated plunger engaging' the lever, and manually operated means for actuating said lever.

17. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a sliding and swinging' support, oit' bag holding and delivering means pivotally mounted thereon.

1S. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combina-tion with a boxing capable of transverse reciprocation, of a supporting arm slidably mounted therein, and a bag-receiving and holding arm pivotally mounted on the supporting arm.

19. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a swinging support rotatably reversible on a longitudinal axis, of a. bag-holding device pivotally mounted thereon.

20. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a pivot, of a boxing rotatably mounted thereon, a supporting arm slidably and reversibly mounted in the boxing, and a bag receiving and holding arm pivotally mounted on the supporting arm.

21. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the

combination with a pivot, of a bracket car-l ried thereby, a supporting arm journaled on the pivot and resting on the bracket, and bag-holding mechanism mounted on the arm.

23. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a pivot and a bracket associated with the same, of a boxing journaled on the pivot, a supporting arm slidable in the boxing and normally resting on the bracket, and bag receiving and holding means carried by the outer end ot the arm.

24. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a car, of a pivot having a hinge connection with the car, a boxing journaled on the pivot, and mail bag holding means including a supporting' arm movably mounted on the boxing.

25. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the

combination with a car, of a supporting bracket hinged thereto, a pivot carried by the bracket, a boxing journaled on the pivot, a supporting arm slidable in the boxing' and resting on the bracket, and bag receiving and delivering' means carried by the supporting arm.

26. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the

combination with a car, of a bracket hinged thereto, a pivot carried by the bracket, a boxing' rotatable and longitudinally slidable upon the pivot, springs coiled about the pivot on opposite sides of the'boxing, a supporting arm slidably and reversibly mounted in the boxing', a rearwardly swinging bag holding arm pivoted to the supporting arm, a spring for swinging the same rearwardly, a latch for holding the arms in substantial alinement, and means for actuating the latch.

27. In mail bag exchange mechanism, the combination with a support, of a substantially horizontal pivot rod hinged at one end to t-he support, and mail bag-holding means journaled on the pivot rod and movable longitudinally along the same.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN A. OLBON.

W'itnesses JENNETTE PEAL, JOHN F. KERK. 

